editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Anthony Kuhn is NPR's correspondent based in Bejing, China, covering the great diversity of Asia's countries and cultures. Throughout his coverage he has taken an interest in China's rich traditional culture and its impact on the current day. He has recorded the sonic calling cards of itinerant merchants in Beijing's back alleys, and the descendants of court musicians of the Tang Dynasty. He has profiled petitioners and rights lawyers struggling for justice, and educational reformers striving to change the way Chinese think. From 2010-2013, Kuhn was NPR's Southeast Asia correspondent, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Among other stories, he explored Borneo and Sumatra, and witnessed the fight to preserve the biodiversity of the world's oldest forests. He also followed Myanmar's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, as she rose from political prisoner to head of state. During a previous tour in China from 2006-2010, Kuhn covered the Beijing Olympics, and the devastating Sichuan earthquake thatNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Anthony KuhnMon, 07 Aug 2017 03:13:47 +0000Anthony Kuhnhttp://kuvo.org
Anthony KuhnIn China, a country where all media are nominally owned by the state, the government invests vast amounts of money and labor into controlling information. Having any investigative journalists at all is no mean feat. But in Hunan, the journalism can be as spicy as the chili pepper-laden cuisine for which the province is known. "Hunan produces the best investigative journalists in the country," says Luo Changping, who until 2014 was one of them. One reason for this, he says, is that "no matter how poor people are in Hunan, they're very concerned about politics." In recent years, though, Luo and other members of the influential "Hunan gang" of investigative journalists — which, in its heyday, brought down powerful political figures and exposed human rights abuses — have quit the business. To find out why, I recently met Luo at the Yuelu Academy, a 1,000-year-old school in Hunan's provincial capital, Changsha, which is near where he works. On the campus full of stately, classicalChina's Few Investigative Journalists Face Increasing Challengeshttp://kuvo.org/post/chinas-few-investigative-journalists-face-increasing-challenges
42493 as http://kuvo.orgSun, 06 Aug 2017 12:08:00 +0000China's Few Investigative Journalists Face Increasing ChallengesAnthony Kuhn"Liu Xia is free." A Chinese official made this assertion to allay concerns that the widow of prominent Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who died July 13, remains under house arrest — as she has been for most of the time since her husband was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. "We want Liu Xia to avoid more trouble," added the official, Shenyang city government spokesman Zhang Qingyang, speaking at a press briefing on Saturday. But he did not specify her whereabouts. "I believe the relevant departments will protect Liu Xia's rights according to the law," he told reporters. As far as many of her family, friends and supporters are concerned, Liu Xia is missing — probably still in custody and under surveillance of authorities, if not under house arrest. Foreign journalists who went looking for her in recent days say they were harassed by plainclothes security officials. The Norwegian Nobel Committee "is deeply worried about Liu Xia's situation in the aftermath of her husband's tragic death,After Liu Xiaobo's Death, Concerns Grow For His Widow's Well-Beinghttp://kuvo.org/post/after-liu-xiaobos-death-concerns-grow-his-widows-well-being
41908 as http://kuvo.orgTue, 18 Jul 2017 19:09:00 +0000After Liu Xiaobo's Death, Concerns Grow For His Widow's Well-BeingAnthony KuhnProminent dissident Liu Xiaobo, the only Chinese citizen to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize while still residing in China, has died at age 61. Liu died Thursday while on medical parole in northeastern China's Shenyang city, where he was being treated for liver cancer. He was serving an 11-year prison sentence for trying to overthrow the government. By the time Liu, a scholar and human rights advocate, was diagnosed in late May , his liver cancer was already in its late stages. Chinese authorities released video footage intended to show that Liu had been receiving good medical care, and they invited U.S. and German doctors to treat him. But Beijing rejected calls to allow him to seek treatment overseas. Liu's biographer and friend, the U.S.-based dissident Yu Jie , believes that China's government had a motive to withhold or delay treatment: It feared the consequences of Liu getting out of prison alive. In that case, Yu says, "he would [have] become a standard-bearer for China'sChinese Nobel Peace Laureate And Human Rights Advocate Liu Xiaobo Dieshttp://kuvo.org/post/chinese-nobel-peace-laureate-and-human-rights-advocate-liu-xiaobo-dies
41761 as http://kuvo.orgThu, 13 Jul 2017 13:38:00 +0000Chinese Nobel Peace Laureate And Human Rights Advocate Liu Xiaobo DiesAnthony KuhnWith China's most famous living dissident, Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, on the verge of death, his supporters continue to call for him to be allowed to leave the country — to either get medical treatment or at least die a free man. In decades past, China sometimes released high-profile dissidents, who went overseas. But the days when China was willing to cut a deal with the U.S. or other countries and send a dissident into exile are long gone. China today is far more confident of itself and its power relative to other countries, and analysts believe President Xi Jinping would be hard-pressed to see any benefit to releasing even the most celebrated dissident, especially in a year when a leadership transition is scheduled. "Unless Xi Jinping sees why it is in his advantage to let Liu Xiaobo leave, why would he do it?" asks John Kamm, a San Francisco-based human rights campaigner and head of the rights group Dui Hua , Chinese for "Dialogue." The only possible exception, he notes,As China's Strength Has Grown, So Has Its Unwillingness To Let Dissidents Leavehttp://kuvo.org/post/chinas-strength-has-grown-so-has-its-unwillingness-let-dissidents-leave
41739 as http://kuvo.orgWed, 12 Jul 2017 16:13:00 +0000As China's Strength Has Grown, So Has Its Unwillingness To Let Dissidents LeaveAnthony Kuhnhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPdl3uxW3aI In China, a futuristic new kind of urban transport that its promoters claimed would beat traffic jams appears to have gone off the rails. That became clear last week when police arrested the people behind the project on suspicion of fraud. Dubbed the Transit Elevated Bus, the vehicle looks a bit like a catamaran on rails or a bus that straddles two lanes of traffic. Gridlock? No problem. The electric contraption would just whisk its cabin full of 300 or so passengers right over it. Following the project's unveiling in 2010, the vehicle's designer told the official People's Daily newspaper that five Chinese cities had signed contracts to establish pilot projects using the buses. Time magazine hailed it as one of "The 50 Best Inventions of 2010." Last August, a prototype actually made test runs on the streets of the northern port city of Qinhuangdao. But experts raised doubts about the feasibility of the idea from the very start. How, theyChina's Elevated Bus Project Seemed Too Good To Be True — And It Washttp://kuvo.org/post/chinas-elevated-bus-project-seemed-too-good-be-true-and-it-was
41573 as http://kuvo.orgThu, 06 Jul 2017 13:44:00 +0000China's Elevated Bus Project Seemed Too Good To Be True — And It WasAnthony KuhnTo the rest of China, the remote, landlocked region known as Guizhou province has been a wild and rugged backwater, for all but the last 500 years of the country's history. Now, it's at the leading edge of China's technological ambitions. Aboriginal tribes inhabited this part of Southwest China until members of the majority Han ethnic group began settling there around the 10th century B.C. It didn't become a province of a unified China until five centuries after that. Today, Guizhou's economy ranks 25th out of 31 Chinese provinces. Jagged karst peaks make the landscape difficult to navigate and cultivate. It is home to a disproportionate number of China's roughly 60 million "left-behind children," whose parents have sought work in the cities, leaving them in the care of relatives. But the province is pursuing an ambitious strategy to surge to the forefront of China's high-tech sector. It has picked big data as the industry that will make the most of its natural advantages. Guizhou'sA Remote Chinese Province Uses Its Climate To Grow A Big-Data Industryhttp://kuvo.org/post/remote-chinese-province-uses-its-climate-grow-big-data-industry
41505 as http://kuvo.orgMon, 03 Jul 2017 20:32:00 +0000A Remote Chinese Province Uses Its Climate To Grow A Big-Data IndustryAnthony KuhnOne of China's most controversial celebrations, the annual dog meat festival in southwest China's Yulin City, is underway. The event inflames passions among the celebrants and their critics to such a degree that the local government seems to be in a bind, unable to placate either side. Activists say that this year, the government issued a ban on the sale of dog meat, only to reverse following an outcry from locals. "It's really confusing," says Zhang Xiaohai, secretary general of the AITA Foundation for Animal Protection in Beijing. The week-long festival, centered on the summer solstice each year, opens a window on changing — often conflicting — attitudes in China about animals, meat and humans. Last month, dog meat vendors tipped off animal rights activists that the Yulin government had issued a verbal ban. Some groups hailed it as a victory. But state-run media on June 15 quoted officials as saying that festival is not an official event, and the government hadn't issued any ban. China's Doggy Debate: Dog Meat Lovers Vs. Dog Lovershttp://kuvo.org/post/chinas-doggy-debate-dog-meat-lovers-vs-dog-lovers
41210 as http://kuvo.orgThu, 22 Jun 2017 14:29:00 +0000China's Doggy Debate: Dog Meat Lovers Vs. Dog LoversAnthony KuhnA Chinese labor activist has been arrested and two others have disappeared after investigating alleged labor abuses at a factory that makes shoes for several major brands — including Ivanka Trump's. Hua Haifeng disappeared sometime Sunday while en route to the Huajian International shoe factory in southern China. On Tuesday, police in the province called Hua's wife, Deng Guimian. "They said, 'You only need to know that your husband has been arrested on criminal charges,' " Deng told NPR by phone from her home in Hubei province. " 'You don't need to know anything other than that.' " Hua works for China Labor Watch , a New York-based group that investigates violations of workers' rights. China Labor Watch says two of Hua's colleagues are also missing and presumed detained. Deng said she has not informed the couple's two young children, her own parents or Hua's about the incident. She wants to keep from upsetting them. And she says she is indignant at how police have treated her husband. China Detains Activist Investigating Factory Making Ivanka Trump Shoeshttp://kuvo.org/post/chinese-activists-detained-after-investigating-factory-making-ivanka-trump-shoes
40584 as http://kuvo.orgWed, 31 May 2017 17:32:00 +0000China Detains Activist Investigating Factory Making Ivanka Trump ShoesAnthony Kuhnhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtnKJqDECnE A Chinese student who praised the "fresh air of free speech" in the U.S. during her commencement address at the University of Maryland is facing an online backlash from classmates and from people in China who say she insulted her own country. Shuping Yang, who graduated with a double-major in psychology and theater, is from the city of Kunming in southwest China. As she prepared to speak on Sunday, her mother waved a bouquet of flowers at her from the audience. China has nearly 330,000 students in the U.S., far and away the largest contingent of any country. Yang's speech is one of a number of events that have caused acrimonious political debates among them. Yang told the assembly that pollution was so bad in her hometown that she had to wear face masks to keep from getting sick. She also described the evolution of her political views, saying that she once believed that "only authorities control the narrative, only authorities could defineChinese Student's Commencement Speech In U.S. Isn't Going Over Well In Chinahttp://kuvo.org/post/chinese-students-commencement-speech-us-isnt-going-over-well-china
40377 as http://kuvo.orgTue, 23 May 2017 17:50:00 +0000Chinese Student's Commencement Speech In U.S. Isn't Going Over Well In ChinaAnthony KuhnOver the weekend, China pledged tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure financing and development aid, and elicited support from scores of countries to promote economic integration and free global trade through the creation of what Beijing is calling a "new Silk Road." Twenty-nine heads of state and representatives of more than 130 countries attended the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. At its conclusion, leaders signed a communiqué espousing a "shared commitment to building an open economy, ensuring free and inclusive trade [and] opposing all forms of protectionism." The plan would, in theory, create a network of trade routes, rail lines, ports and highways, linking countries on four continents. China is calling it the "plan of the century." So far, nearly 70 countries have signed agreements with China to participate in the initiative, known as One Belt, One Road. Many of China's Asian neighbors are sorely in need of infrastructure investmentFor China's 'New Silk Road,' Ambitious Goals And More Than A Few Challengeshttp://kuvo.org/post/chinas-new-silk-road-ambitious-goals-and-more-few-challenges
40158 as http://kuvo.orgTue, 16 May 2017 20:48:00 +0000For China's 'New Silk Road,' Ambitious Goals And More Than A Few ChallengesAnthony KuhnU.S. diplomats staged a rare intervention to rescue the family of a human rights lawyer held in China. The attorney was released last week, after having been swept up in a two-year-old crackdown that has put most of the country's rights lawyers and legal activists out of business. Human rights groups have been watching to see whether the Trump administration will take a more or less muscular approach to human rights in China than their predecessors, and this case highlights some of the issues at stake. The target of the rescue was Chen Guiqiu, a professor of environmental science, and the wife of human rights lawyer Xie Yang. Chen had fled China with the couple's two daughters in February, fearing for their safety. They snuck into Thailand, but local authorities raided their safe house and detained them. On March 2, Chen was locked up in a Bangkok immigration jail. "I couldn't communicate with the outside world," Chen recalls. "I was worried, almost in despair, and in my heart, I wasFor Family Of Embattled Chinese Lawyer, A Long Road To Safety — With U.S. Helphttp://kuvo.org/post/family-embattled-chinese-lawyer-long-road-safety-us-help
40087 as http://kuvo.orgSun, 14 May 2017 12:42:00 +0000For Family Of Embattled Chinese Lawyer, A Long Road To Safety — With U.S. HelpAnthony KuhnOn a back street in Osaka, the sound of schoolchildren floats out of Tsukamoto Kindergarten. A cuckoo clock and a stand of bamboo sit in front of the school building's orange facade — and Astro Boy, a cartoon figure, looks down from a window. From its exterior, there's no visible sign that the school is at the center of a scandal on which the leader of Japan has staked his political future. The school's owner is accused of using his relationship with Japan's first family to secure a plot of land for a new, right-wing primary school at a massive discount. Despite the scandal, Tsukamoto Kindergarten's traditional teachings have been an attraction to some parents. "I decided to send my son there because they teach shogi [Japanese chess] and kendo [Japanese swordsmanship]," says parent Mrs. Sakamoto. "And they serve nice lunches." Mrs. Sakamoto asked that we not use her full name in order to protect her 5-year-old son, who was forced to leave the school after she got into a dispute withLand Deal For Right-Wing Elementary School Plagues Japanese Prime Ministerhttp://kuvo.org/post/land-deal-right-wing-elementary-school-plagues-japanese-prime-minister
39968 as http://kuvo.orgWed, 10 May 2017 14:01:00 +0000Land Deal For Right-Wing Elementary School Plagues Japanese Prime MinisterAnthony KuhnA court in Indonesia has sentenced the capital's Christian governor to two years in prison for blasphemy against Islam, in a decision that has cheered Muslim conservatives and crushed the hopes of advocates of a more pluralistic and tolerant path for their nation. Jakarta Gov. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, nicknamed "Ahok", had not been expected to do time in jail, as prosecutors had sought only a suspended sentence. But in Indonesia, few accused of blasphemy walk free. Reuters reports that Ahok was taken to a prison in east Jakarta where, according to his lawyer Tommy Sihotang, he would remain "despite his appeal process unless a higher court suspended it." "This case is not about Ahok," says Andreas Harsono, a Jakarta-based researcher for Human Rights Watch. "This case is about the future of Indonesia. This is a sad day for equality among citizens in Indonesia." The blasphemy charges relate to comments Ahok made last September. He told a group of fishermen that politicians who tell themJakarta's Christian Governor Sentenced To 2 Years For Blasphemyhttp://kuvo.org/post/jakartas-christian-governor-sentenced-2-years-blasphemy
39936 as http://kuvo.orgTue, 09 May 2017 14:54:00 +0000Jakarta's Christian Governor Sentenced To 2 Years For BlasphemyAnthony KuhnMing Jun snaps some dusty twigs and drags them indoors to cook lunch for his daughter and heat his mud brick home. The Chinese farmer is down to his last pile of firewood, and he can't afford any more. It's just ahead of the Lunar New Year, but Ming says he feels no holiday cheer. "Other families buy their kids meat to eat and new clothes to wear. My daughter wears old, donated clothes," he says dejectedly. "Forget it, I'm not going to visit other folks' homes. I'll just stay at home and sleep." Ming Jun's village is just three miles outside Beijing city limits, in an impoverished belt of counties to the north and west of the capital. No other city in China presents such a stark contrast between its urban and surrounding areas. Three years ago, President Xi Jinping announced a plan intended to help people like Ming. Xi's signature policy goes beyond urban planning, envisioning an entire network of cities around the capital, a region with a population already one-third of that in the UBeijing Mega-Region Plan Aims To Alleviate Poverty, But Some Are Waryhttp://kuvo.org/post/beijing-mega-region-plan-aims-alleviate-poverty-some-are-wary
39275 as http://kuvo.orgSun, 16 Apr 2017 21:38:00 +0000Beijing Mega-Region Plan Aims To Alleviate Poverty, But Some Are WaryAnthony Kuhn"The Art of the Deal" appears to have edged out the "The Art of War" for now, as the presidents of the U.S. and China spoke of agreements reached at their summit at President Trump's resort in Palm Beach, Fla., last week , including an apparent deal to cooperate in grappling with the North Korean nuclear issue. "You and I, Mr. President, increased our mutual understanding and established a good working relationship," President Xi Jinping told Trump, when Trump called Xi on Tuesday night, a follow-up to their meeting at Mar-a-Lago. Xi added that the two sides had "reached important consensuses" on key issues, and that China "is willing to communicate and coordinate" on the North Korean issue. "I think we had a very good chemistry together," President Trump said of Xi at a press briefing Wednesday. "I think he wants to help us with North Korea." While neither side would say exactly what sort of deal was struck, it seemed to confirm observers' predictions that both leaders went into the'The Art Of The Deal' Prevails In U.S.-China Talks, For Now At Leasthttp://kuvo.org/post/art-deal-prevails-us-china-talks-now-least
39189 as http://kuvo.orgThu, 13 Apr 2017 17:12:00 +0000'The Art Of The Deal' Prevails In U.S.-China Talks, For Now At LeastAnthony KuhnWhat President Trump may refer to as "the art of the deal," his guest at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday and Friday — Chinese President Xi Jinping — might call "win-win cooperation." In this first summit meeting between the two leaders, both sides have things they are willing to give and get. Both will be sizing the other up to see to what extent they can do business with each other. "The Chinese quite like the idea of a deal-maker, because I think they are looking for a deal," says Kerry Brown, a professor of Chinese studies at King's College London. "They want to deal with very tangible things," he says. "Trade flows, investment flows, intellectual property." A grand geopolitical bargain is not in the cards, though, says Shi Yinhong, an international relations expert at People's University in Beijing. "Both sides have never made, or been willing to make, big concessions on major political issues in order to achieve breakthroughs," he observes. Shi says China wanted the summit because it wasSummit Between China's Xi Jinping And President Trump Comes Amid Tensionshttp://kuvo.org/post/summit-between-chinas-xi-jinping-and-president-trump-comes-amid-tensions
39001 as http://kuvo.orgThu, 06 Apr 2017 18:14:00 +0000Summit Between China's Xi Jinping And President Trump Comes Amid TensionsAnthony KuhnOn the afternoon of April 14, 2016, Yu Huan, 22, and his mother were working at their brake disc company in eastern China's Shandong Province, when 11 men arrived and blocked the company's entrance, set up a grill and started drinking alcohol and barbecuing outside. It was the second day in a row that they'd been harassing the family. Awhile later, the men cornered Yu, his mother and an employee in an office. One of the intruders exposed himself in front of Yu's mother, Su Yinxia, in an attempt to humiliate her in front of her son, an eyewitness told the Southern Weekend newspaper. Then things got worse. "One guy grabbed me by the neck and tried to drag me to the reception room," Yu told police, according to a court verdict posted online. "I resisted and they started to beat me." The men were debt collectors, coming to demand payment from the family. In 2014 and 2015, Su Yinxia had borrowed nearly $196,000 from a real estate agent, at a monthly interest rate of 10 percent. She'd paidA Debt Collector Is Killed In China, Triggering Debate Over Right To Self-Defensehttp://kuvo.org/post/debt-collector-killed-china-triggering-debate-over-right-self-defense
38759 as http://kuvo.orgThu, 30 Mar 2017 17:24:00 +0000A Debt Collector Is Killed In China, Triggering Debate Over Right To Self-DefenseAnthony KuhnWith fires crackling in the peat soils, smoke billowing up and hot ash raining down just a stone's throw from his house, farmer Arif Subandi chokes up as he surveys the scene. "Now our land is burned, our environment neglected," he says, sobbing. "Where will my children and grandchildren go?" The 48-year-old father of five, who lives just outside the capital of Indonesia's West Kalimantan Province on Borneo, says he doesn't have enough to support his family. He's worried about local companies trying to take the land from him. The fires can be hard to extinguish. "We're in the bush," Subandi explains. "These are ferns. And the fire burns the dry roots beneath us. During the dry season, the fire can burn three feet or more underground." On top, the peat is a dry, loose, spongy tangle of roots and leaves. Subandi sticks his hand through the top layer up to his elbow, and pulls up a handful of dirt. It's wetter and more compacted, showing what happens as the decaying vegetation sinks andIndonesia's Peat Fires Still Blaze, But Not As Much As They Used Tohttp://kuvo.org/post/indonesias-peat-fires-still-blaze-not-much-they-used
38398 as http://kuvo.orgSun, 19 Mar 2017 18:00:00 +0000Indonesia's Peat Fires Still Blaze, But Not As Much As They Used ToAnthony KuhnRex Tillerson concluded his first trip to Asia as secretary of state, sounding optimistic about the prospects for U.S. cooperation with China on the North Korean nuclear issue. The upbeat notes he struck in Beijing contrasted with his remarks on Friday in Seoul about how all options, including military strikes against North Korea, remain on the table. As if to underline the seriousness of the situation, even as Tillerson was discussing North Korea with his Chinese hosts, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over the test launch of a new rocket engine. Pyongyang called the test "of historic significance," although its capabilities and possible uses are not yet clear. On Sunday, Tillerson made no public mention of the test as he met with President Xi Jinping in the cavernous Great Hall of the People on Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Both men effused about phone calls and letters exchanged so far between Xi and President Trump. Tillerson's visit is expected to pave the way for theirRex Tillerson, Xi Jinping Meet In China As Secretary Of State Wraps Asia Tourhttp://kuvo.org/post/rex-tillerson-xi-jinping-meet-china-secretary-state-wraps-asia-tour
38395 as http://kuvo.orgSun, 19 Mar 2017 16:01:00 +0000Rex Tillerson, Xi Jinping Meet In China As Secretary Of State Wraps Asia TourAnthony KuhnIn Chinese, the back story to a movie or news item is called huaxu, or flower catkins. In other words, fluff. That's the headline describing a video clip of me on Sina Weibo , China's answer to Twitter, and the country's main microblogging platform, with more than 500 million registered users. The clip shows me asking a question at a government press conference on March 6. Less than a day after its posting, the clip had been viewed 5 million times. Not bad for an admittedly wonky foreign correspondent, who couldn't make his own reporting go viral even if he injected it with smallpox. I went to the press conference to get some official comment for a story I'm working on about a signature policy of President Xi Jinping: plans for a megaregion around Beijing, with a projected population roughly one-third that of the U.S. The presser, on the sidelines of the annual session of China's legislature, was given by officials of the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economicFor Years, I've Been A Correspondent In China. This Month, I Became A Viral Starhttp://kuvo.org/post/years-ive-been-correspondent-china-month-i-became-viral-star
38383 as http://kuvo.orgSat, 18 Mar 2017 14:00:00 +0000For Years, I've Been A Correspondent In China. This Month, I Became A Viral Star